In the framework of the 13th investiture of the International Football Hall of Fame, an emotional gathering of historical figures of international football was recently held in Pachuca.
A total of 18 new figures joined this select group, strengthening the memory and legacy of legends such as René Higuita, Dunga and Iker Casillas, who led the induction ceremony.
In an atmosphere filled with nostalgia and recognition, René Higuita shared his thoughts after receiving the award.. Putting aside his usual confidence on the field, the Colombian admitted: “I’m a little nervous. I’d rather be on the field in front of 100,000 people. This scenario is scary.”
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The famous goalkeeper, a symbol of his eccentricity and contribution to the game, reflected on the honor of having his name named alongside the likes of David Beckham, Franz Beckenbauer, Hugo Sanchez, Diego Maradona and Pelé, among others.
Recalling the way he revolutionized football, “Loco” emphasized that “I have a madness that creates joy, which adds to my ability to change FIFA rules to give more play to goalkeepers.”. “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honors of my life,” Higuita said at the ceremony.
“Being inducted into the International Football Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honors of my life. It’s incredible to be in a place that already has such luminaries as David Beckham, Beckenbauer, Hugo Sanchez, Maradona, Zico, Javier Aguirre, Johan Cruyff, Valdano, Platini, Pele and Zidane.”
Meanwhile, Dunga, the Brazilian who captained Brazil to victory in the 1994 World Cup, expressed his appreciation and excitement at returning to Mexico, the country where his career with the Brazilian national team was based.
“It’s a very special day to be part of a soccer legend. It’s an honor to be back in Mexico. My story with the Brazil team began in 1983 when we won the U-20 Youth World Cup.”
Among the award recipients, Spain’s Iker Casillas, the team’s world and European champion, shared an anecdote related to Dunga: “When I was 13 years old, I saw Dunga lift the cup and I wanted to achieve it someday. 16 years later I achieved it.”
“This investiture ceremony is very important to me. I may or may not be the youngest of these distinguished legends here, but it is a great honor for me to share this honor with all of them,” Casillas said.
On the South American side, Uruguayan Diego Forlan, who won the top celestial index at the 2011 Copa America and also played at the 2010 World Cup, was also among the players recognized, along with Dutchman Ronald Koeman and Englishman Gary Lineker. Reflecting on his time with Mexico 86, he commented: “This award is even more meaningful because it was given to me in Mexico, the home of the World Cup. There I scored six goals, won the Golden Boot and played with his ‘Hand of God’ and a great goal in an unforgettable match against Maradona’s Argentina. I scored a goal that no one remembers.”
For Mexico, midfielders Miguel España, Ignacio Ambriz, Club León coach James Rodríguez, Gerardo Torrado, and forwards Luis Flores and Juan Francisco Palencia stand out. He was joined by former Brazilian midfielder Milton Queiroz “Tita”, who was a standout player for Club León and won the Copa America with Brazil in 1989, in addition to winning the Copa Libertadores title twice.
Among the corporate deans was Ubaldo ‘Pato’ Fillol, the historic 1978 Argentine goalkeeper champion, who said: I would like to share this beautiful award with my teammates and coaching staff from the beautiful 1978 team that brought my country’s first world title. ” Finol himself also paid tribute to the late Colombian goalkeeper Miguel Calero, who was present.
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